Veteran detective Walt Miller joined the Evesham police department in 1997. Fifteen years later, he was sworn in as township police chief by Mayor Jaclyn Veasy at a ceremony last month.
Miller graduated from Rowan University in 1996, and after college completed his Gloucester County Police Academy training. That same year he achieved a master’s in administrative science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and earned certificates in Law Enforcement Executive Studies and Global Leadership.
After a short stint working for the Amtrak police in Philadelphia, Miller was hired by the Evesham police as a patrol officer and worked in the narcotics branch of the county prosecutor’s office. He also served with the state police before returning to the Evesham detective bureau. He was promoted to sergeant in 2004 and eventually became captain in 2013.
Miller recounted his early days in that position.
“I was originally put in charge of operations,” he recalled. “During that time, I was in charge of all the line functions of the police department.”
After serving as acting Evesham police chief following former chief Christoper Chew’s retirement in January, Miller was officially appointed to the role in late March. He emphasized that all of his training and educational experiences were necessary for him to properly manage the difficulties that a chief can face.
“I wouldn’t be prepared for this role without all the education and experience as a backing,” Miller noted. “The complexities of being a police chief in 2022 is a lot different than being a chief 20 or 30 years ago.
“I feel that everything that I’ve done up to this point has positioned me to provide that for the community.”
In a release, Veasy cited Miller’s experience and commitment to servicing the community.
“On behalf of myself and the township council, as well as every member of our community, I want to formally welcome Chief Walt Miller to his new role in leading one of the very best police departments in the United States of America,” she said.
“Walt Miller’s willingness to serve the Evesham community is without question, and I know everyone in Evesham can continue to feel safe under his leadership and vision as our department continues to grow and serve our residents,” Veasy added.
Miller acknowledged several goals he wants to meet for himself and his department.
“One of the things we’re working on now is restructuring the police department to build in some efficiencies, to realign the workflow, to be a little more effective, with an eye towards financial responsibility,” he explained.
“We’re also working to enhance the way we train our officers,” Miller added. “Law enforcement is a high-risk profession and (officers in the field) have to make tough decisions. They have to be prepared academically and tactically in order to slow down tragedies and emergencies and make good decisions.
“I have a lot of plates spinning right now to get us prepared for what I envision is the future for our police department.”
